Top 10 Must See Horror Movies from Film Festivals 2014

Throughout the year, dozens of horror films – possibly hundreds – are introduced to movie audiences within the confines of Horror Film Festivals both domestic and abroad. Many highly regarded and positively reviewed films grab mega buzz on horror sites and in fright film circles but never get a wide theatrical release or much press surrounding their DVD, VOD and Blu-Ray releases. Many fall aside buried by higher profile, but often far inferior, films.

On the recent Monster Movie Podcast, show host Doc Rotten is joined by foreign correspondent Joseph Perry to take a look at 10 must see films that appeared primarily at two major fantasy film festivals in South Korea, the Busan International Film Festival and the Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival. The list the follows represent some of the best of the best of fantasy, science fiction and horror films that found audiences in these festivals.

It Follows
Dir: David Robert Mitchell; Cast: Linda Boston, Caitlin Burt, Heather Fairbanks, Maika Monroe
The teen cast vs slasher film that is far different than the standard teen slasher films out in recent years. An interesting and entertaining twist on the slasher genre.

Blood Glacier
Dir: Marvin Kren; Cast: Gerhard, Edita Malovcic, Brigitte Kren
A monster movie from Austria that has similarities to John Carpenter’s The Thing with genetic twisting special effects in a winter landscape. The film is currently available on NetFlix.

WolfCop
Dir: Lowell; Cast: Leo Fafard, Amy Matysio, Sarah Lind, Corinne Conley
“Here comes the Fuzz!” The tagline provides a clue to the tone and approach to a story where a cop named Lou Garou survives a violent encounter with a lyncathrope and becomes WolfCop.

Exists
Dir: Eduardo Sanchez; Cast: Dora Madison Burge, Samual Davis, Roger Edwards
The director of The Blair Witch Project returns with THE Bigfoot film of all Bigfoot films. Not only a great Bigfoot film, but one of the best found footage films of the year and one of the best monster movies of recent years.

What We Do In The Shadows
Dir: Jemaine Clement, Taika Waititi; Cast: Jemaine Clement, Taiki Waititi, Jonathan Brugh, Cori Gonzalez-Macuer
From New Zealand comes a comedic and entertaining look at a small group of vampires set up in an a shared apartment revealing their life and their nighttime habits to an interviewer.

Starry Eyes
Dir: Kevin Kolsch, Dennis Wildmyer; Cast: Alex Essoe, Amanda Fuller, Noah Segan, Fabianne Therese
A Faustian tale of a young actress who will do anything to become a star and becomes involved in a questionable group of producers who work to transform their future star with horrific side effects.

Dead Snow 2: Red vs Dead
Dir: Tommy Wirkola; Cast: Vegar Hoel, Orjan Gamst, Martin Starr, Jocelyn DeBoer
Tommy Wirkola and General Herzog return with more Evil Dead inspired antics where Nazi Zombies descend upon a Norwegian town.

The Canal
Dir: Ivan Kavanagh; Cast: Rupert Evans, Antonia Campbell-Hughes, Steve Oram
From Ireland comes a terrifying ghost tale where a man discover victims of a ghastly murder years ago in his new home begin haunting the new home owners.

Housebound
Dir: Gerard Johnstone; Cast: Morgana O’Reilly, Rima Te Wiata, Glen-Paul Waru
Another film from New Zealand enters the list with a tale of a convicted criminal sentenced to house arrest to spend time in her mother’s possibly haunted home.

The Babadook
Dir: Jennifer Kent; Cast: Essie Davis, Daniel Hanshall, Noah Wiseman
The final film on the list is The Babadook from Australia, writer/director Jennifer Kent weaves an incredible and complex tale of a troubled single mom who encounters a deadly spirit called Mister Babadook.

Check out these films when you get the chance and listen to the podcast recorded below.